Cassiits c



' (NqModeL) I G. G. ANDRESS.

v RAILROAD FROG.

A TTOHNEYS.

4 UNITED STATES cAssIUs o. ANDRESS,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEw YORK, N. Y,

RAILROAD-FROG.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No.494,1 15, dated March 28, 1893.

' Application filed July 9, 1892. Serial No. 439.444. (No model-) To all whom; 2125- may concern;

. Bejt known that I, GAssIUs C.A1 :DREss,'of

1 New York city, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Railrbad-Frog, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad frogs, and .the objectof my invention is to prodnce an extremely simple and durable frog having a'shiftiugrail which may be easily operated in the same way that a switch rail is operated, which may be shifted so as to provide a perfectly safe and smooth crossing, and which may be used when necessary for a switch.rail..

To this end, my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described andclaimed.

- Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a plan view of the frog and switch embodying my invention, the rail being shown for use as a frog. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a cross section ,on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1; and Fig.4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1. a

Theapparatus is provided with a base plate 10, at one end of which are the converging rails 11, which touch at their nearest endsand which are adapted to align with the converging track rails 12, and at the opposite end of the base plate are fixed the rails 13, which are adapted-to align with 'the track rails 14, and also with the rails 11 and 12-. The basepla'te has also pivoted thereon a shifting rail 14", which at one end is rounded, as shown at 15 in Fig. 1, and the rounded end is held to re ister with the concave end portions 16 of the adjacent rails 11. The rail 14 is pivoted near the rails 11 on a bolt-17, which extends through the bed plate and well up into the rail, and it will be seen that the shifting rail may thus be moved so as toregister with either of the rails 13, and to efiect an easy crossing. The rail 14 is held to move between lugs 18, which limit its movement, these-being fixed to the baseplate l0, and having overhanging inner edges 19 which project over the flanges of the rail and prevent the rail from rising. The

rail 14 has near its freeend a depending lug 20, which is clamped to the flanges of the rail by the lugs 2l,and which extends downward through a slot23 in the base plate, and has a head 22 at its lowerend which also prevents the rail and frog from shifting. The slot 23 is curved, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to permit the necessary movement of the. rail, and the slot is covered by curved plates 24 which are secured to opposite sides of the rail, as shown in Fig. 1, and are su ffioiently long to keep the slot entirely covered at all times. i The movement of the shifting rail'is eifectedbya switch rod 25, which is held transversely beneath the base plate and is held to slide in keepers 26,

the rod having on its upper side a thickened portion 27, which slides in a recess27 of the base plate, and the thickened portion is also recessed on the top, as shown at 28 in Fig. 4,

to receive a pin: or lug 29, which is formed on the under side of the rail 14*, and which enters the recess 28. Itwill be seen that the rod 25 is'capable of a limited movement before the rail 14 will be moved, and this movement may be regulated by the length of the recess 28,and the recess should be of such a length that its walls will strike the pin29and move the rail 14 sufficiently to cause it to register with the rails 13. On the under-side of the switch rod 25.isa convex cam 31, which is adapted to move 'over a swinging latch 32, which ispivoted in keepers 33 beneath the bed plate, and is normally Dressed upward by a spring .34. To the freeend of the latchis pivoted a pin 35, which extends upward through a hole 36 in'the bed plate and registers with recesses 37 in the flanges of the rail 14. It will thus be seen that the pin 35 will lock the rail and holdit securely in place so that it cannot he accidentally displaced. The spring 34 should be sufficiently. stilf to hold the pin in place so that it cannot be removed by the rattle and.

jar of passing trains. The switch rod 25 may be connected with an ordinary switch stand or any suitable lever, and it will be .understood that the rail 14 may be arranged for use as a switch rail instead of asa frog, as

shown in the drawings.

The operation of the device is as follows: When. the rail 14 is to be shifted, the rod 25 is pushed to the right or left as the case may be, and the first movement of the rod causes the cam 31 to move over and depress the latch 32, thus pulling down the pin 35 and releasing therail 14 The continued movement of the switch rod causes the part2? thereof to strike' the pin 29 and move the rail 14 into the required position, and the same movement causes the cam 31 to pass the latch 32, and the pin 35 springs back into the recess 37 of the opposite-flange of the rail and the rail is thus held securely in place. It will be noticed that there will be no strain on the pins and bolts which hold the rails, as the pressure of the wheel fiange onthe rail 14; jams the rail firmly against one of .the lugs 18, whichtherefore sustains the. side pressure.

Having thus described my invention, 1-

v claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A frog or switch, comprising a bed having fixed convergingrails at the ends, a shifting rail held to swing between and register with the fixed rails, lugs secured to the bed and arranged to limit the movement of'the shifting rail,'a guide rod fixed to the shifting rail and held to move in a slot in the bed, cover plates secured to the rail and held to cover the slot, a switchrod operatively connected with the shifting rail, a spring-pressed locking pin held to move vertically in the bed and enter recesses in the shifting rail, and a cam mechanism operated by the switch rod and adapted to release the locking pin, substantially as described.

- CASSIUS (J. ANDRESS.

\Vitnesses:

WARREN 13.. HU'rcHrNsoN,

E. R. Panama. 

